YLF Port Harcourt Condemns Assault Meted Out On Its Secretary By Soldiers, Calls On Security Agencies To Investigate The Matter

The Port Harcourt Branch of the Young Lawyers’ Forum of the NBA has condemned the dastardly act by soldiers perpetrated on its Secretary, Mr. Kelechi Chinule on the 10th day of September 2019 at about 7 pm.

The Forum in a statement signed by its Chairman, Mr. Kelechi Nwuzi and sighted by TheNigeriaLawyer (TNL), called on the Chief of Army Staff and the General Officer Commanding as well as other high ranking officers and men of the Nigerian Army, Port Harcourt to immediately investigate the owner of the Toyota Sequoia Vehicle with Licence plate number Rivers AHD 783 AAA for his unprofessional, irresponsible and barbaric actions meted out against the person of Mr. Kelechi Chinule.

They said they will not stand by and watch as officers who are supposed to protect and defend the good citizens of the country, victimize and oppress members of the public and cause harm and injury to them.

The Forum also called on the State and National Executive of the NBA to take action against the continued injustice being perpetrated against lawyers in general by security agents in the state and the country at large.

Below is the full statement:

The Young Lawyers’ Forum of the NBA Port Harcourt Branch expresses its displeasure over the dastardly act by men and officers of the Nigerian Army perpetuated on the Secretary of the YLF, Port Harcourt in the person of Mr. Kelechi Chinule on the 10th day of September, 2019 at about 7pm when a vehicle (Toyota Sequoia) with registration Number Rivers AHD 783 AA hit his own vehicle around St. John’s area of Port Harcourt, damaged some parts of his vehicle and attempted to flee the scene but was stopped by Mr. Kelechi, who in an attempt to take pictures of the incident as evidence, was assaulted by the occupant of the vehicle.

The said occupant then immediately mobilized other officers and men of the Nigerian Army to further assault him, leading to serious injury to his left eye and destruction of his clothings and other accessories on him as they also attempted to arrest and take him with them to their barracks at Bori Camp, Port Harcourt because he took pictures of the vehicles involved in order to get justice.

While we condemn this unfortunate incident, we call on the Chief of Army Staff and the General Officer Commanding as well as other high ranking officers and men of the Nigerian Army 2 Amphibious Brigade (Bori Camp), Port Harcourt to immediately investigate the owner of the Toyota Sequoia Vehicle with Licence plate number Rivers AHD 783 AAA for his unprofessional, irresponsible and barbaric actions meted out against the person of Mr. Kelechi Chinule.

The Young Lawyers’ Forum, Port Harcourt will not stand by and watch as officers who are supposed to protect and defend the good citizens of the country, victimize and oppress members of the public and cause harm and injury to them.

Furthermore, The YLF calls on the Federal Road Safety Commission and the Federal Inland Revenue Service in the State to investigate the owner of the vehicle license plate number – Rivers AHD 783 AA

We also use this medium to call on the State and National Executive of the NBA and encourage them to continue to take action against the continued injustice being perpetuated against lawyers in general (not just young Lawyers) by security agents in the state and the country at large and we further call on the NBA President, Mr. Paul Usoro, SAN to fulfill his good promise of constituting the National body of the YLF so that the voice of the young lawyers can be heard and indeed protected at the national level of the NBA.

This is an infringement of the rights of Mr. Kelechi Chinule and we will take necessary steps to institute action against these officers and men of the Nigerian Army.